Regenerative control device for hybrid vehicle

ABSTRACT

A regenerative control device for a hybrid vehicle includes a regenerative braking power control unit prohibiting or limiting execution of first regenerative braking to charge the battery with power generated by the regenerative power generation of the traveling motor generator during deceleration when it is determined that it is necessary to restrict charging of the battery. Under condition where the execution of the first regenerative braking is prohibited or limited, the regenerative braking power control unit causes second regenerative braking to transmit rotary driving power to the engine by rotating the power generation motor generator by the power generated by the regenerative power generation, to be executed when the operation unit is set to a regeneration level in an increasing direction, and causes the second regenerative braking to be stopped when the operation unit is set to a regeneration level in a decreasing direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromprior Japanese patent application No. 2014-172327, filed on Aug. 27,2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a regenerative control device for ahybrid vehicle.

Among hybrid vehicles mounted with an engine and a traveling motor asdriving sources of the vehicle, there is a vehicle in which a travelingmotor generator where a power generation function is added to thetraveling motor is used and a power generation motor generator iscoupled to the engine separately from the traveling motor generator insuch a manner that the driving power of the engine can be connected anddisconnected to and from a power transmission path. That is, this is aseries-parallel hybrid vehicle where the generation of the driving powerand the power generation are performed separately at each of the engineand the traveling motor generator.

In the hybrid vehicle as described above, not only the power performanceof the vehicle but also the energy efficiency during traveling areimproved by using both the engine and the traveling motor generator.

For example, during traveling by the driving power of the travelingmotor generator, the battery can be charged by the regenerative powergenerated during deceleration, and a regenerative braking power such asengine braking can be provided to the wheels.

From the viewpoint of energy efficiency, it is preferable to obtain alarge regenerative power generation amount by setting the regenerativebraking power to be higher; however, since the deceleration increases,the influence on the vehicle operability increases. In view of suchcircumstances, for example, in a related art disclosed inJP-A-2014-128075, the driver can arbitrarily select the strength of theregenerative braking power (regeneration level) during deceleration byoperating an operation member such as a paddle switch or a shift lever.With this, the regenerative braking power that the driver thinksnecessary can be actively obtained according to the traveling state, andboth energy efficiency and vehicle operability are obtained.

On the other hand, in the hybrid vehicle as described above, since thefrequency of battery charging during traveling is increased, there is aconcern about battery overcharging. In particular, the amount ofrecovery of the regenerative power generated by the traveling motorgenerator affects the magnitude of the braking power of the vehicle. Forthis reason, it is desired to travel while recovering the regenerativepower of the traveling motor generator by using some kind of method evenwhen the battery is nearly fully charged.

Accordingly, a related art has been proposed where the motor generatorcoupled to the engine is driven as an electric motor to forcibly rotatethe stopped engine (motoring). That is, the engine in a state of beingseparated from the power transmission path of the vehicle is used as therotational load of the motor generator to cause the motor generator toconsume power. By this control, regenerative braking can be performedwhile restricting the charging to the battery, so that driving feelingcan be improved (see JP-A-2012-6525).

Moreover, a related art has been proposed where when the regenerativecontrol of the traveling motor generator is performed with powergeneration while battery charging is restricted, in a case where arotational resistance increase request to increase the rotationalresistance of the engine is not made, driving of the power generationmotor generator is controlled so that motoring of the engine isperformed and in a case where the rotational resistance increase requestis made, driving of the power generation motor generator is controlledso that the motoring of the engine is performed while the operation ofthe engine is controlled in such a manner that the valve timing isadvanced compared with when the rotational resistance increase requestis not made and that the throttle opening is adjusted within a rangewhere the pressure of the intake system does not become lower than apredetermined pressure (see JP-A-2010-247749).

With this, even when the regenerative control of the traveling motorgenerator is performed while battery charging is restricted, the powergenerated by the traveling motor generator can be more reliably consumedby the motoring of the engine, and the lubricating oil can be inhibitedfrom being sucked into the intake system and the combustion chamber ofthe engine because of the negative pressure of the intake system inassociation with the motoring of the engine.

Although there are arts in which regenerative braking power is generatedeven under a condition where battery charging is restricted as in therelated arts disclosed in JP-A-2012-6525 and JP-A-2010-247749, there isa problem in that when the regeneration level is set by the driver as inthe related art disclosed in JP-A-2014-128075, it is difficult togenerate regenerative braking power in conformity with the setting evenwhile charging is restricted.

SUMMARY

The present invention is made in view of such circumstances, and anobject thereof is to provide a regenerative control device capable ofgenerating a regenerative braking power conforming to the setting by thedriver even while battery charging is restricted.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of theinvention, there is provided a regenerative control device for a hybridvehicle comprising: a power generation motor generator that is driven byan engine to perform power generation and is configured to function as amotor for driving the engine; a traveling motor generator that isconfigured to perform driving of a driving wheel of the vehicle and isconfigured to perform regenerative power generation; a battery that isconnected to the power generation motor generator and the travelingmotor generator and is configured to perform transfer of power; a firstregenerative braking control unit that is configured to controlexecution of first regenerative braking to charge the battery with apower generated by the regenerative power generation of the travelingmotor generator during deceleration of the vehicle; a secondregenerative braking control unit that is configured to controlexecution of second regenerative braking to transmit a rotary drivingpower to the engine by rotating the power generation motor generator bythe power generated by the regenerative power generation of thetraveling motor generator during the deceleration of the vehicle; anoperation unit that is configured to adjust a regeneration levelindicative of a strength of a regenerative braking power of the vehicle;a battery state detection unit that is configured to detect a state ofthe battery; and a regenerative braking power control unit that isconfigured to determine whether it is necessary to restrict charging ofthe battery or not based on the state of the battery detected by thebattery state detection unit and is configured to prohibit or limit theexecution of the first regenerative braking when it is determined thatit is necessary to restrict charging of the battery, the regenerativebraking power control unit, under a condition where the regenerativebraking power control unit prohibits or limits the execution of thefirst regenerative braking, is configured to cause the secondregenerative braking to be executed when the operation unit is set to aregeneration level in a regenerative braking power increasing direction,and cause the second regenerative braking to be stopped when theoperation unit is set to a regeneration level in a regenerative brakingpower decreasing direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the structure of a hybrid vehicle20 mounted with a regenerative control device 10 according to anembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a peripheral structure of a paddleswitch 1162 provided on a steering 128;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing from directly above a peripheralstructure of a shift lever 1164 provided on the driver's seat;

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the regenerative braking powerthat can be set by the paddle switch 1162 and the shift lever 1164;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the regenerative brakingprocessing of the regenerative control device 10;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an example of setting of whetherthe execution of second regenerative braking is possible or not withrespect to the condition of an operation unit 116; and

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing an example of the setting ofwhether the execution of the second regenerative braking is possible ornot with respect to the state of the operation unit 116.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a regenerative control device fora hybrid vehicle according to the present invention will be described indetail with reference to the attached drawings.

Embodiment Apparatus Structure

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the structure of the hybridvehicle 20 mounted with the regenerative control device 10 according tothe embodiment.

The hybrid vehicle 20 includes an engine 102, a power generation motorgenerator 104, a traveling motor generator 106, a battery (battery) 108,an inverter 110, a clutch 112, a driving wheel 114, the operation unit116 (the paddle switch (first operation unit) 1162, the shift lever(second operation unit) 1164), a vehicle speed sensor (vehicle speeddetection unit) 118, an accelerator pedal sensor 120, an engine RPMsensor 122, a charge state detection circuit 124, a temperature sensor126 and a vehicle ECU 130.

The engine 102 is an internal-combustion engine such as a gasolineengine or a diesel engine, and causes a rotary driving power to begenerated by burning a mixture gas containing a fuel (gasoline, lightoil, etc.) in the combustion chamber.

The rotary driving power generated at the engine 102 is used for drivingof the power generation motor generator 104 and driving of the drivingwheel 114. More specifically, the engine 102 is directly coupled to thepower generation motor generator 104 and disconnectably connected to thedriving wheel 114 through the clutch 112. The power generation motorgenerator 104 is driven by the engine 102 to generate power, andfunctions as a motor for driving the engine 102.

When the SOC of the battery 108 becomes not more than a reference regionso that the charging of the battery 108 is necessary, the engine 102operates to drive the power generation motor generator 104 and chargesthe battery 108. At this time, the engine 102 and the driving wheel 114are disconnected from each other by the clutch 112, and no power istransmitted therebetween.

When a traveling driving power is required of the engine 102, the clutch112 is connected to supply the rotary driving power of the engine 102 tothe driving wheel 114. Cases where a traveling driving power is requiredof the engine 102 include a case where the driver's output request(pressing of the accelerator) detected by the accelerator pedal sensor120 becomes not less than a predetermined level (for example, theaccelerator opening is equal to or greater than a reference value or theaccelerator opening increase rate is equal to or greater than areference value) so that the driving torque is insufficient with onlythe traveling motor generator 106 and a case where the SOC of thebattery 108 detected by the charge state detection circuit 124 becomesnot more than a reference value and it is intended to suppress theoutput of the traveling motor generator 106.

At this time, the following conditions can be taken: a condition wherethe power generation motor generator 104 is placed into an unloadedstate and the rotary driving power of the engine 102 is all supplied tothe driving wheel 114 and a condition where the power generation motorgenerator 104 is placed into a condition where a power generation loadis imposed, part of the rotary driving power of the engine 102 issupplied to the driving wheel 114 and the power generation motorgenerator 104 is driven by the remaining torque.

The battery 108 is connected to the power generation motor generator 104and the traveling motor generator 106, and power is transferred betweenthe power generation motor generator 104 and the traveling motorgenerator 106.

The battery 108 supplies driving power to the traveling motor generator106 through the inverter 110.

The battery 108 is charged by using the power generated by the powergeneration motor generator 104 and the traveling motor generator 106.That is, the following methods are available: a method where the powergenerated by the power generation by the traveling motor generator 106during the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle 20 is supplied to thebattery 108 through the inverter 110 (first regenerative braking) and amethod where the power generated by the power generation motor generator104 is supplied to the battery 108 through the inverter 110.

As described later, the power generated by the power generation by thetraveling motor generator 106 may be supplied to the power generationmotor generator 104 through the inverter 110.

In the periphery of the battery 108, a battery state detection unit fordetecting the state of the battery is provided. In the presentembodiment, as the battery state detection unit, the following areprovided: the charge state detection circuit (charge state detectionunit) 124 that detects the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 108 fromthe current (cell current) and voltage (cell voltage) of the batterycells of the battery 108 and the temperature sensor 126 that detects thetemperature (cell temperature) of the battery cells of the battery 108.The information detected by these battery state detection units isoutputted to the vehicle ECU 130.

The traveling motor generator 106 drives the driving wheel 114 by thepower supplied from the power generation motor generator 104 or thebattery 108, and is capable of generating power during the decelerationof the hybrid vehicle 20. That is, the traveling motor generator 106performs driving of the driving wheel 114 of the hybrid vehicle 20 andregenerative power generation.

More specifically, the traveling motor generator 106 is always connectedto the driving wheel 114, and when the driver's output request (pressingof the accelerator) is detected by the accelerator pedal sensor 120, thetraveling motor generator 106 operates as a motor by using the power ofthe battery 108, generates an output torque, and outputs it to thedriving wheel 114 as the driving torque for the traveling of the hybridvehicle 20 (traveling driving torque).

Moreover, when the driver releases the accelerator, this is detected bythe accelerator pedal sensor 120 and the traveling motor generator 106functions as a generator and generates power to thereby execute thefirst regenerative braking. That is, power is generated by receiving therotation torque from the driving wheel 114, and this power generationload is delivered as the braking power (regenerative braking power) ofthe vehicle.

The strength of the regenerative braking power can be set by theoperation unit 116.

The operation unit 116 adjusts the increase/decrease of the regenerationlevel setting indicative of the strength of the regenerative brakingpower of the hybrid vehicle 20.

In the present embodiment, the operation unit 116 includes the paddleswitch (first operation unit) 1162 having a plurality of steps ofsettings in a regenerative braking power increasing direction and in aregenerative braking power decreasing direction and the shift lever(second operation unit) 1164 capable of adjusting the regenerativebraking power of the hybrid vehicle 20 only in an increasing directionwith respect to the initial setting.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a peripheral structure of the paddleswitch 1162 provided on the steering 128.

The paddle switch 1162 is provided with a paddle plus switch 1162Acapable of switching the regenerative braking power in steps in thedecreasing direction and a paddle minus switch 1162B capable ofswitching the regenerative braking power in steps in the increasingdirection, and is structured so as to be operable by the driverdepressing the paddle plus switch 1162A or the paddle minus switch 1162Bwhile grabbing the steering 128.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing from directly above a peripheralstructure of the shift lever 1164 provided on the driver's seat.

The shift lever 1164 is an operation portion that enables the travelingmode to be switched by the driver's operation, and is provided on thedriver's seat of the hybrid vehicle 20.

The shift lever 1164 is set in the illustrated home position as theinitial state, and switching to the corresponding traveling mode can bemade by the driver changing the shift position backward, forward,rightward and leftward along the arrows.

Here, the N position indicates a neutral mode where the power of thetraveling motor generator 106 is not transmitted to the driving wheel114, the D position indicates a normal traveling mode where forwardtraveling is performed, and the R position indicates a backwardtraveling mode where backward traveling is performed.

When the normal traveling mode is set by selecting the D position, theregenerative braking power of the traveling motor generator 106 can beshifted in steps by operating the shift lever 1164 to the B position.When the driver releases the shift lever 1164 after operating the shiftlever 1164 to the B position, the shift lever 1164 automatically returnsto the home position, and the regenerative braking power (regenerationrate) shifts in the increasing direction according to the number oftimes of the operation to the B position.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the regenerative braking powerthat can be set by the paddle switch 1162 and the shift lever 1164.

Here, the generative braking power is the regeneration rate, and theregeneration rate indicates the amount of regeneration when measurementis performed at a constant speed. For the regenerative braking power ofthe traveling motor generator 106, six steps of shift stages of B0 to B5are set according to the magnitude.

Here, each shift stage is made a regeneration level, a series of shiftstages that can be set by the paddle switch 1162 is grouped as a firstshift pattern, and a series of shift stages that can be set by the shiftlever 1164 is grouped as a second shift pattern. The regenerativebraking power increases from B0 toward B5 and the driver's decelerationfeeling and the regeneration level increase.

Of these regeneration levels, the initial setting as the reference is,for example, B2. That is, a condition where the shift lever 1164described later is situated in the D position or the paddle switch 1162is operated to BC is the initial setting.

The second shift pattern that can be selected by the shift lever 1164 isformed of shift stages D, B and BL. The shift stage D can be selected byoperating the shift lever 1164 to the D position, and the regenerativebraking power corresponds to B2 which is the initial setting. Shift tothe shift stage B is made by operating the shift lever 1164 from the Dposition to the B position once, and B3 is set where the regenerativebraking power is stronger than at the shift stage D. Shift to the shiftstage BL is made by further operating the shift lever 1164 to the Bposition once, and B5 is set where the regenerative braking power isstronger than at the shift stage B.

Here, the amount of change of the regeneration rate from B3 to B5 islarger than the amount of change of the regeneration rate from B2 to B3.As described above, even when the regeneration amount is largely changedby setting the amount of regeneration rate change between theregeneration levels set by the shift lever 1164 in such a manner that itis larger at the regeneration level where the regeneration rate ishigher, the regeneration amount desired by the driver can be quicklyobtained by operating the shift lever 1164.

Moreover, for the shift lever 1164, the number of shift stages issmaller than that for the paddle switch 1162, and setting is made sothat the number of times of the operation for setting a predeterminedregeneration level is small. Since the number of times of the shiftoperation for obtaining the same regeneration amount as that of thepaddle switch 1162 is small for the shift level 1164 for this reason,the increase/decrease of the regenerative braking power can be easilycontrolled by a small number of times of the operation, which issuitable for reduction in the driver's operation load. Moreover, thefirst shift pattern that can be selected by the paddle switch 1162 isformed of the regeneration levels of shift stages BA, BB, BC, BD, BE andBF, and the number of shift stages is larger than that of the secondshift pattern.

The regenerative braking powers of the shift stages BA, BB, BC, BD, BEand BF correspond to B0, B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5, respectively, and shiftcan be made according to the number of times of the operation of thepaddle plus switch 1162A and the paddle minus switch 1162B.

Here, the amounts of regeneration rate change of B0, B1, B2, B3, B4 andB5 may be the same. Since the regeneration amount can be increased anddecreased in steps by making the same the amount of regeneration ratechange between the regeneration levels set by the paddle switch 1162 asdescribed above, delicate regenerative control is enabled.

Moreover, the number of shift stages of the paddle switch 1162 is largerthan that of the shift lever 1164 and setting is made so that the numberof times of the operation for setting a predetermined regeneration levelis large, which is suitable for delicate control of the regenerativebraking power.

By thus providing the shift lever 1164 and the paddle switch 1162between which the number of times of the operation for setting apredetermined regeneration level is different, control of theregenerative braking power as intended by the driver can be performedaccording to the traveling state. In particular, at the shift lever1164, since the number of times of the shift operation for obtaining thesame regeneration amount as that at the paddle switch 1162 is small, theincrease/decrease of the regenerative braking power can be easilycontrolled by a small number of times of the operation, which issuitable for reduction in the driver's operation load. Conversely, atthe paddle switch 1162, the number of times of the shift operation islarger than that at the shift lever 1164, which is suitable for delicatecontrol of the regenerative braking power.

Returning to the description of FIG. 1, the vehicle ECU 130 is amicrocomputer including a CPU, a ROM storing a control program and thelike, a RAM as a work area for the control program, an EEPROM rewritablyholding various pieces of data and an interface portion serving as aninterface with a peripheral circuit and the like, and controls theentire vehicle 20.

To the vehicle ECU 130, various vehicle side information sensors such asthe accelerator pedal sensor 120, the engine RPM sensor 122 that detectsthe RPM of the engine 102 and the vehicle speed sensor 118 areconnected, and from these sensors, detection information, or thetraveling state information of the vehicle is inputted.

Moreover, to the vehicle ECU 130, the charge state detection circuit 124and the temperature sensor 126 are connected, and from these sensors,detection information, or battery state information representative ofthe battery state is inputted.

Moreover, to the vehicle ECU 130, the current (motor current) andvoltage (motor voltage) of the traveling motor generator 106 and motordriving state information such as the RPM of the motor are inputtedthrough the inverter 110.

Details of Control at the Regenerative Control Device 10

The vehicle ECU 130 implements a first regenerative braking control unit1302, a second regenerative braking control unit 1304 and a regenerativebraking power control unit 1306 by the CPU executing the controlprogram.

The first regenerative braking control unit 1302 controls the executionof the first regenerative braking to charge the battery 108 by the powergenerated by the power generation by the traveling motor generator 106during the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle 20.

The first regenerative braking by the first regenerative braking controlunit 1302 is, that is, “normal regeneration”. When the firstregenerative braking is executed, power is generated by the travelingmotor generator 106 to charge the battery 108, and the power generationload is used as the braking power (regenerative braking power) of thevehicle to decelerate the hybrid vehicle 20.

The second regenerative braking control unit 1304 controls the executionof the second generative braking to transmit the rotary driving power tothe engine 102 by rotating the power generation motor generator 104 bythe power generated by the power generation by the traveling motorgenerator 106 during the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle 20.

The second regenerative braking by the second regenerative brakingcontrol unit 1304 corresponds to, that is, “motoring control”.

The motoring control is a control where the engine 102 is forciblyrotated by the power generation motor generator 104 to thereby consumethe power generated by the traveling motor generator 106. Thereby, theregenerative braking power can be generated without the battery 108being charged.

In the motoring control, a control signal to switch the destination ofsupply of the power generated by the traveling motor generator 106 fromthe battery 108 to the power generation motor generator 104 is outputtedfrom the second regenerative braking control unit 1304 to the inverter110. At this time, the voltage, the current, the AC frequency and thelike to the power generation motor generator 104 are adjusted in such amanner that a target rotary driving power described later is generatedat the engine 102.

At the time of the second regenerative control, a combustion operationwhere fuel is supplied to the engine 102 and burned to thereby generatethe rotary driving power at the engine 102, that is, “firing control”may be performed in parallel with the above-described motoring control.

The firing control is a control where fuel is supplied to the engine 102and ignited or fired (firing) to thereby burn the fuel and a conditionwhere heat is continuously generated at least at the engine 102 isbrought about.

In the firing control, a control signal is outputted from the secondregenerative braking control unit 1304 to operate the engine 102. Atthis time, the amount of fuel injection, the timing of fuel injection,the amount of incoming air, the time of ignition and the like areadjusted so that an engine target torque described later is generated atthe engine 102.

The target torque of the engine 102 in the firing is set to, forexample, a negative torque. This negative torque includes a flammabilitylimit torque of the engine 102.

The flammability limit torque of the engine 102 is a torque generated bythe combustion at the flammability limit (the minimum density limitwhere a mixture gas of fuel and air can be burned). For example, whenthe target torque of the engine 102 is set to the flammability limittorque, fuel and air of an amount just enough to maintainself-sustaining rotation is introduced to the engine 102. Therefore,when either the amount of fuel or the amount of air is reduced or whenthe load is increased, the engine 102 cannot maintain theself-sustaining rotation, so that the engine 102 is stalled (stopped).

As described above, the flammability limit torque is a minimum torquefor maintaining self-sustaining rotation when the engine 102 isunloaded, and includes a no-load torque corresponding to a load loss(internal load) such as a mechanical friction loss, an intake/exhaustloss or a cooling loss of the engine 102. On the other hand, theflammability limit torque does not include an external load torquecorresponding to a load (external load) of an external device of theengine 102 such as an air conditioning load, a transmission load or anauxiliary machine load.

An idling torque for maintaining the idling rotation of the engine 102includes both the no-load torque and the external load torque.Therefore, the flammability limit torque has a value lower than theidling torque.

By setting the target torque of the engine 102 to a negative torque(flammability limit torque), firing is performed with a minimum fuelconsumption, so that fuel efficiency can be improved.

The regenerative braking power control unit 1306 determines whether itis necessary to restrict charging of the battery 108 or not based on thestate of the battery 108 detected by the battery state detection unit,and prohibits or limits the execution of the first regenerative brakingwhen it is necessary to restrict charging. Then, the regenerativebraking power control unit 1306 causes the second regenerative brakingto be executed when the operation unit 116 is set to a regenerationlevel in the regenerative braking power increasing direction, and causesthe second regenerative braking to be stopped when the operation unit116 is set to a regeneration level in the regenerative braking powerdecreasing direction.

That is, the regenerative braking power control unit 1306 avoids theexecution of the first regenerative braking to supply the powergenerated by the traveling motor generator 106 to the battery 108 whenit is necessary to restrict charging, and supplies the power generatedby the traveling motor generator 106 to the power generation motorgenerator 104 to execute the second regenerative braking only when thedriver makes a setting to enhance the regenerative braking power.

More specifically, the regenerative braking power control unit 1306controls the strength of the regenerative braking power generated by thefirst regenerative braking according to the setting of the operationunit 116. That is, when a setting to enhance the regenerative brakingpower is made for the operation unit 116, the regeneration rate of thetraveling motor generator 106 is increased so that a strongerregenerative braking power is obtained. When a setting to weaken theregenerative braking power is made for the operation unit 116, theregeneration rate of the traveling motor generator 106 is reduced sothat the obtained regenerative braking power is small.

On the other hand, under a condition where charging is restricted andthe first regenerative braking is prohibited or limited, when a settingto enhance the regenerative braking power is made for the operation unit116, the second regenerative braking is executed, and by the secondregenerative braking, the regenerative braking power is generated andthe engine 102 is operated. Moreover, when a setting to weaken theregenerative braking power is made, the second regenerative braking isstopped so that the regenerative braking power is not generated and theengine 102 is not operated.

The reason why this control is performed is in order to improveconvenience by performing a regeneration operation according to thedriver's preference when charging is restricted. More specifically, whenthe second regenerative braking is executed, the engine 102 rotates tocause noise. When firing is executed together with motoring, fuel isconsumed slightly. Therefore, for a driver who does not like these, itis desired not to execute the second regenerative braking.

For this reason, the second regenerative braking is executed only whenthe driver positively operates the operation unit 116 to request for anincrease in regenerative braking power and otherwise, the secondregenerative braking is stopped, whereby it is made possible to switchbetween a case where the driver prefers regenerative braking power toquietness (engine-on) and a case where the driver prefers quietness orfuel efficiency improvement to regenerative braking power (engine-off).

The “setting in the regenerative braking power increasing direction” forthe operation unit 116 indicates, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 6,when the operation unit 116 is the paddle switch 1162, an operation tochange the shift stage from BA to BB, from BB to BC, from BC to BD, fromBD to BE or from BE to BF, and when the operation unit 116 is the shiftlever 1164, an operation to change the shift stage from D to B or from Bto BL.

Moreover, the “setting in the regenerative braking power decreasingdirection” for the operation unit 116 indicates, as shown in the lowerpart of FIG. 6, when the operation unit 116 is the paddle switch 1162,an operation to change the shift stage from BF to BE, from BE to BD,from BD to BC, from BC to BB or from BB to BA, and when the operationunit 116 is the shift lever 1164, an operation to change the shift stagefrom BL to B or from B to D.

The case where it is determined that the restriction of charging of thebattery 108 is necessary is, for example, a case where the SOC of thebattery 108 is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit andthere is a concern about overcharging. In this case, the battery statedetection unit is the charge state detection circuit 124 (charge statedetection unit) that detects the state of charge of the battery 108, andwhen the state of charge detected by the charge state detection circuit124 is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit in theneighborhood of full charge, the regenerative braking power control unit1306 determines that charging of the battery 108 is necessarilyrestricted.

Additionally, another example of the case where it is determined thatthe restriction of charging of the battery 108 is necessary is a casewhere the temperature of the battery 108 is extremely low or extremelyhigh.

Moreover, prohibiting the execution of the first regenerative braking atthe regenerative braking power control unit 1306 indicates thatregenerative power generation is not performed at the traveling motorgenerator 106 or that the power generated by the traveling motorgenerator 106 is not inputted to the battery 108 at all. Moreover,limiting the execution of the first regenerative braking at theregenerative braking power control unit 1306 indicates that only part ofthe power generated by the traveling motor generator 106 is used forcharging the battery 108.

Specifically, for example, when the SOC of the battery 108 is equal toor greater than 98%, the power regenerated by the traveling motorgenerator 106 is not inputted to the battery 108 (the first regenerativebraking is prohibited), when the SOC is equal to or greater than 95% andless than 98%, up to 7 kW of the power regenerated by the travelingmotor generator 106 is inputted to the battery 108 (the firstregenerative braking is limited), and when the SOC is less than 95%, allthe power regenerated by the traveling motor generator 106 is inputtedto the battery 108 (the first regenerative braking is executed).

Moreover, the regenerative braking power control unit 1306 may bestructured so that when the operation unit 116 is set to a regenerationlevel in the regeneration braking power increasing direction from apredetermined regeneration level under a condition where the executionof the first regenerative braking is prohibited or limited, the secondregenerative braking is executed and when the operation unit 116 is setto the predetermined regeneration level or to a regeneration level inthe regenerative braking power decreasing direction from thepredetermined regeneration level thereafter, the second regenerativebraking is stopped.

Here, the “predetermined regeneration level” is, for example, B2 whichis the above-described initial setting of the regeneration level andindicates a condition where the shift lever 1164 is in the D position orthe paddle switch 1162 is operated to BC. Therefore, in this case, the“regeneration level in the regenerative braking power increasingdirection from the predetermined regeneration level” indicates acondition where as shown in the left side of FIG. 7, the shift lever1164 is operated to the B position and the shift stage is B or BL, orthe paddle switch 1162 is operated to any of BD, BE and BF. Moreover,the “regeneration level in the regenerative braking power decreasingdirection from the predetermined regeneration level” indicates acondition where as shown in the right side of FIG. 7, the paddle switch1162 is operated to BA or BB, and the shift lever 1164 does not have acorresponding operation.

When the operation unit 116 is set to a regeneration level in theregenerative braking power increasing direction from the predeterminedregeneration level, the regenerative braking power control unit 1306continues the execution of the second regenerative braking until theoperation unit 116 is set to the predetermined regeneration level or aregeneration level in the regenerative braking power decreasingdirection from the predetermined regeneration level thereafter.

Therefore, once the second regenerative braking is started, the secondregenerative braking does not readily stop and frequent repetition ofoperation/stopping of the engine can be suppressed, so that noise andfluctuations in regenerative braking power can be prevented.

For example, a structure may be adopted in which when the execution ofthe first regenerative braking is prohibited or limited under acondition where the operation unit 116 is set to a regeneration level inthe regenerative braking power increasing direction from thepredetermined regeneration level, the second regenerative braking isexecuted and when the operation unit 116 is set to the predeterminedregeneration level or a regeneration level in the regenerative brakingpower decreasing direction from the predetermined regeneration levelthereafter, the second regenerative braking is stopped.

That is, the second regenerative braking may be executed also whencharging restriction is necessary because of an increase in the SOC ofthe battery 108 or the like and the execution of the first regenerativebraking is prohibited or limited during traveling under a conditionwhere a setting to enhance the regenerative braking power is made forthe operation unit 116.

Moreover, a structure may be adopted in which when the operation unit116 is the first operation unit having a plurality of steps of settingsin the regenerative braking power increasing direction and in theregenerative braking power decreasing direction, that is, the paddleswitch 1162, for the first regenerative braking, the regenerativebraking power control unit 1306 executes a plurality of steps ofsettings according to the setting by the first operation unit (paddleswitch 1162) and for the second regenerative braking, the regenerativebraking power control unit 1306 performs two steps of settings ofexecution and stopping.

That is, when charging is not restricted (when the first regenerativebraking is executed), the strength is finely changed according to thesetting of the paddle switch 1162 to generate regenerative brakingpower, and when charging is restricted, either a condition whereregenerative braking is performed (the second regenerative braking isexecuted) or a condition where regenerative braking is not performed(the second regenerative braking is stopped) is set. Whether theregenerative braking is performed or not when charging is restricted maybe switched, for example, according to whether the setting for thepaddle switch 1162 is equal to or greater than the predeterminedregeneration level or not.

Thereby, for the first operation unit (paddle switch 1162) operated inmultiple steps, at least two switching modes can be set even whencharging is restricted, so that minimum convenience can be ensured.Moreover, that the regenerative braking power cannot be switched inmultiple steps makes it easy for the driver to notice that charging isrestricted and recognize that the situation is such that regenerativebraking does not work as it does at the ordinary time.

Moreover, a structure may be adopted in which in a case where theoperation unit 116 is the second operation unit (shift lever 1164)capable of adjusting the regenerative braking power of the hybridvehicle 20 only in the increasing direction with respect to the initialsetting, when the second operation unit (shift lever 1164) is operatedfrom the initial setting in the regenerative braking power increasingdirection under a condition where the execution of the firstregenerative braking is prohibited or limited, the regenerative brakingpower control unit 1306 causes the second regenerative braking to beexecuted and when the second operation unit (shift lever 1164) isreturned to the initial setting thereafter, the regenerative brakingpower control unit 1306 causes the second regenerative braking to bestopped.

The initial setting of the regenerative braking power corresponds, inthe present embodiment, to the regeneration level B2 and when the shiftlever 1164 is in the D position as described above. Therefore, theregenerative braking power control unit 1306 causes the secondregenerative braking to be executed when the shift lever 1164 isoperated from the D position to the B position.

Then, when the shift lever 1164 is operated to the D positionthereafter, the second regenerative braking is stopped.

Although the shift stage can be changed from B to BL by operating theshift lever 1164 to the B position a plurality of number of times, it isneedless to say that even when such an operation is performed, thesecond regenerative braking control is continued.

As described above, in a case where the operation unit 116 is the shiftlever 1164, when the regenerative braking power is operated in theincreasing direction with respect to the initial setting (D to B), thesecond regenerative braking is executed, and when it is returned to theinitial setting (B to D), the second regenerative braking is stopped, sothat setting conforming to the driver's operation can be realized.

Moreover, the regenerative braking power control unit 1306 may cause thesecond regenerative braking to be executed when the traveling speed ofthe hybrid vehicle 20 is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.The traveling speed of the hybrid vehicle 20 can be obtained from thevehicle speed detection unit (vehicle speed sensor 118) for detectingthis.

This is because if the engine 102 is driven when the speed is low, noiseand vibrations are readily transmitted to the driver and this canadversely affect the traveling feeling. Conversely, during traveling ata certain degree of traveling speed, caused discomfort is consideredscarce even if the wind noise and the like of the vehicle increase andthe engine 102 is driven. Therefore, the traveling feeling of the hybridvehicle 20 can be improved by performing the driving of the engine 102by the second regenerative braking only when the traveling speed of thehybrid vehicle 20 is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the regenerative brakingprocessing of the regenerative control device 10.

The regenerative control device 10 repetitively executes the processingof FIG. 5 while the hybrid vehicle 20 is traveling.

When detecting that the condition is such that regenerative powergeneration by the traveling motor generator 106 is possible such asduring the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle 20 (step S500: Yes), theregenerative control device 10 detects the state of the battery 108 bythe battery state detection unit such as the charge state detectioncircuit 124 (step S501). The state of the battery 108 is, for example,the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 108.

The regenerative braking power control unit 1306 determines whether itis necessary to restrict charging of the battery 108 or not based on thestate of the battery 108 detected at step S501.

When the information detected at step S501 is the state of charge of thebattery 108, the regenerative braking power control unit 1306 determinesthat it is necessary to restrict charging when the state of charge isequal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit in the neighborhoodof full charge, and determines that it is not necessary to restrictcharging when it is less than the predetermined upper limit.

When it is determined that it is unnecessary to restrict charging atstep S502 (step S502: No), the normal regenerative braking, that is, thefirst regenerative braking to charge the battery 108 by the powergeneration by the traveling motor generator 106 is executed by the firstregenerative braking control unit 1302 (step S504).

At this time, the first regenerative braking control unit 1302 controlsthe power generation load and the like of the traveling motor generator106 in such a manner that the regenerative braking power of a strengthset by the operation unit 116 is generated.

On the other hand, when it is determined that it is necessary torestrict charging at step S502 (step S502: Yes), the regenerativebraking power control unit 1306 prohibits or limits the firstregenerative braking by the first regenerative braking control unit 1302(step S506).

When the first regenerative braking is prohibited, the power generatedby the traveling motor generator 106 during deceleration is not inputtedto the battery 108. When the first regenerative braking is limited, onlypart of the power generated by the traveling motor generator 106 duringdeceleration is inputted to the battery 108.

Then, the regenerative braking power control unit 1306 determineswhether an operation to enhance the regenerative braking power has beenperformed on the operation unit 116 or not (step S508). The operation toenhance the regenerative braking power is an operation to make theregeneration level higher than the current regeneration level as shownin the upper part of FIG. 6 or an operation to make the regenerationlevel higher than a predetermined regeneration level (B2) as shown onthe left side of FIG. 7.

When the operation to enhance the regenerative braking power has notbeen performed (step S508: No), regenerative braking is not performed(step S510). That is, without the power generation by the travelingmotor generator 106 being performed, the hybrid vehicle 20 travelswithout generating regenerative braking power.

On the other hand, when the operation to enhance the regenerativebraking power has been performed (step S508: Yes), the regenerativebraking power control unit 1306 causes the second regenerative brakingcontrol unit 1304 to execute the second regenerative braking (stepS512). That is, the power generation by the traveling motor generator106 is performed to generate regenerative braking power, and the powergeneration motor generator 104 is rotated by the power generated by thepower generation.

The regenerative braking power control unit 1306 determines whether anoperation to weaken the regenerative braking power has been performed onthe operation unit 116 or not as occasion arises (step S514). Theoperation to weaken the regenerative braking power indicates anoperation to make the regeneration level lower than the currentregeneration level as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6 or an operationto make the regeneration level not more than the predeterminedregeneration level (B2) as shown on the right side of FIG. 7.

When the operation to weaken the regenerative braking power has not beenperformed (step S514: No), the process returns to step S512, and thesecond regenerative braking is continued.

When the operation to weaken the regenerative braking power has beenperformed (step S514: Yes), the second regenerative braking is stopped(step S516).

As described above, in the regenerative control device 10 according tothe embodiment, whether or not to execute the second regenerativebraking when charging of the battery 108 is restricted is determinedaccording to the state of the operation on the operation unit 116 forsetting the strength of the regenerative braking power. Therefore, whencharging is restricted, a regeneration operation is performed accordingto the driver's preference, that is, whether to attach weight to thesecurement of the regenerative braking power or to quietness and fuelefficiency improvement, so that convenience can be improved.

At this time, by determining whether to execute the second regenerativebraking or not based on whether the state of the operation on theoperation unit 116 is equal to or less than a predetermined regenerationlevel or not, once the second regenerative braking is started, theexecution of the second regenerative braking does not readily stop andfrequent repetition of operation/stopping of the engine can besuppressed, so that noise and fluctuations in regenerative braking powercan be prevented.

Moreover, in the regenerative control device 10, by performing thesecond regenerative braking only when the traveling speed of the hybridvehicle 20 is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, theinfluence of the noise and vibrations due to the engine driving isreduced, so that the traveling feeling of the hybrid vehicle 20 can beimproved.

According to an aspect of the invention, whether or not to perform thesecond regenerative braking when charging of the battery is restrictedis determined according the state of the operation on the operation unitfor setting the strength of the regenerative braking power. Therefore,when charging is restricted, a regeneration operation is performedaccording to the driver's preference, that is, whether to attach weightto the securement of the regenerative braking power or to quietness andfuel efficiency improvement, so that convenience can be improved.

Under the condition where the regenerative braking power control unitprohibits or limits the execution of the first regenerative braking, theregenerative braking power control unit may cause the secondregenerative braking to be executed when the operation unit is set to aregeneration level in the regenerative braking power increasingdirection from a predetermined regeneration level, and cause the secondregenerative braking to be stopped when the operation unit is set to thepredetermined regeneration level or a regeneration level in theregenerative braking power decreasing direction from the predeterminedregeneration level thereafter. In this case, once the secondregenerative braking is started, the second regenerative braking doesnot readily stop and frequent repetition of execution/stopping can besuppressed, so that noise and fluctuations in regenerative braking powercan be prevented.

The operation unit may be a first operation unit having a plurality ofsteps of settings in the regenerative braking power increasing directionand in the regenerative braking power decreasing direction. For thefirst regenerative braking, the regenerative braking power control unitmay execute a plurality of steps of settings according to setting by thefirst operation unit, and, for the second regenerative braking, theregenerative braking power control unit may execute two steps ofsettings of execution and stopping. In this case, for the firstoperation unit operated in multiple steps, at least two regenerativebraking power strengths can be set even when charging is restricted, sothat minimum convenience can be ensured. Moreover, that the regenerativebraking power cannot be switched in multiple steps makes it easy for thedriver to notice that charging is restricted and recognize that thesituation is such that regenerative braking does not work as it does atthe ordinary time.

The operation unit may be a second operation unit capable of adjustingthe regenerative braking power of the vehicle only in the regenerativebraking power increasing direction with respect to an initial setting.Under the condition where the regenerative braking power control unitprohibits or limits the execution of the first regenerative braking, theregenerative braking power control unit may cause the secondregenerative braking to be executed when the second operation unit isoperated from the initial setting in the regenerative braking powerincreasing direction, and cause the second regenerative braking to bestopped when the second operation unit is returned to the initialsetting thereafter. In this case, when the operation unit is the secondoperation unit, setting conforming to the driver's operation can berealized.

The battery state detection unit may be a charge state detection unitconfigured to detect a state of charge of the battery. The regenerativebraking power control unit may determine that it is necessary torestrict charging of the battery when the state of charge detected bythe charge state detection unit is equal to or greater than apredetermined upper limit in a neighborhood of full charge. In thiscase, performance degradation due to battery overcharging can beprevented.

The regenerative control device may further include a vehicle speeddetection unit that is configured to detect a traveling speed of thevehicle. The regenerative braking power control unit may cause thesecond regenerative braking to be executed when the traveling speed isequal to or greater than a predetermined speed. In this case, byperforming the second regenerative braking only when the traveling speedof the hybrid vehicle is not less than a predetermined speed, theinfluence of the noise and vibrations due to the engine driving isreduced, so that the traveling feeling of the hybrid vehicle can beimproved.

What is claimed is:
 1. A regenerative control device for a hybridvehicle comprising: a power generation motor generator that is driven byan engine to perform power generation and is configured to function as amotor for driving the engine; a traveling motor generator that isconfigured to perform driving of a driving wheel of the vehicle and isconfigured to perform regenerative power generation; a battery that isconnected to the power generation motor generator and the travelingmotor generator and is configured to perform transfer of power; a firstregenerative braking control unit that is configured to controlexecution of first regenerative braking to charge the battery with apower generated by the regenerative power generation of the travelingmotor generator during deceleration of the vehicle; a secondregenerative braking control unit that is configured to controlexecution of second regenerative braking to transmit a rotary drivingpower to the engine by rotating the power generation motor generator bythe power generated by the regenerative power generation of thetraveling motor generator during the deceleration of the vehicle; anoperation unit that is configured to adjust a regeneration levelindicative of a strength of a regenerative braking power of the vehicle;a battery state detection unit that is configured to detect a state ofthe battery; and a regenerative braking power control unit that isconfigured to determine whether it is necessary to restrict charging ofthe battery or not based on the state of the battery detected by thebattery state detection unit and is configured to prohibit or limit theexecution of the first regenerative braking when it is determined thatit is necessary to restrict charging of the battery, the regenerativebraking power control unit, under a condition where the regenerativebraking power control unit prohibits or limits the execution of thefirst regenerative braking, is configured to cause the secondregenerative braking to be executed when the operation unit is set to aregeneration level in a regenerative braking power increasing direction,and cause the second regenerative braking to be stopped when theoperation unit is set to a regeneration level in a regenerative brakingpower decreasing direction.
 2. The regenerative control device for thehybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, under the condition wherethe regenerative braking power control unit prohibits or limits theexecution of the first regenerative braking, the regenerative brakingpower control unit causes the second regenerative braking to be executedwhen the operation unit is set to a regeneration level in theregenerative braking power increasing direction from a predeterminedregeneration level, and causes the second regenerative braking to bestopped when the operation unit is set to the predetermined regenerationlevel or a regeneration level in the regenerative braking powerdecreasing direction from the predetermined regeneration levelthereafter.
 3. The regenerative control device for the hybrid vehicleaccording to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is a first operationunit having a plurality of steps of settings in the regenerative brakingpower increasing direction and in the regenerative braking powerdecreasing direction, and for the first regenerative braking, theregenerative braking power control unit executes a plurality of steps ofsettings according to setting by the first operation unit, and, for thesecond regenerative braking, the regenerative braking power control unitexecutes two steps of settings of execution and stopping.
 4. Theregenerative control device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 2,wherein the operation unit is a first operation unit having a pluralityof steps of settings in the regenerative braking power increasingdirection and in the regenerative braking power decreasing direction,and for the first regenerative braking, the regenerative braking powercontrol unit executes a plurality of steps of settings according tosetting by the first operation unit, and, for the second regenerativebraking, the regenerative braking power control unit executes two stepsof settings of execution and stopping.
 5. The regenerative controldevice for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein theoperation unit is a second operation unit capable of adjusting theregenerative braking power of the vehicle only in the regenerativebraking power increasing direction with respect to an initial setting,and, under the condition where the regenerative braking power controlunit prohibits or limits the execution of the first regenerativebraking, the regenerative braking power control unit causes the secondregenerative braking to be executed when the second operation unit isoperated from the initial setting in the regenerative braking powerincreasing direction, and causes the second regenerative braking to bestopped when the second operation unit is returned to the initialsetting thereafter.
 6. The regenerative control device for the hybridvehicle according to claim 2, wherein the operation unit is a secondoperation unit capable of adjusting the regenerative braking power ofthe vehicle only in the regenerative braking power increasing directionwith respect to an initial setting, and, under the condition where theregenerative braking power control unit prohibits or limits theexecution of the first regenerative braking, the regenerative brakingpower control unit causes the second regenerative braking to be executedwhen the second operation unit is operated from the initial setting inthe regenerative braking power increasing direction, and causes thesecond regenerative braking to be stopped when the second operation unitis returned to the initial setting thereafter.
 7. The regenerativecontrol device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein theoperation unit is a second operation unit capable of adjusting theregenerative braking power of the vehicle only in the regenerativebraking power increasing direction with respect to an initial setting,and, under the condition where the regenerative braking power controlunit prohibits or limits the execution of the first regenerativebraking, the regenerative braking power control unit causes the secondregenerative braking to be executed when the second operation unit isoperated from the initial setting in the regenerative braking powerincreasing direction, and causes the second regenerative braking to bestopped when the second operation unit is returned to the initialsetting thereafter.
 8. The regenerative control device for the hybridvehicle according to claim 4, wherein the operation unit is a secondoperation unit capable of adjusting the regenerative braking power ofthe vehicle only in the regenerative braking power increasing directionwith respect to an initial setting, and, under the condition where theregenerative braking power control unit prohibits or limits theexecution of the first regenerative braking, the regenerative brakingpower control unit causes the second regenerative braking to be executedwhen the second operation unit is operated from the initial setting inthe regenerative braking power increasing direction, and causes thesecond regenerative braking to be stopped when the second operation unitis returned to the initial setting thereafter.
 9. The regenerativecontrol device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein thebattery state detection unit is a charge state detection unit configuredto detect a state of charge of the battery, and the regenerative brakingpower control unit determines that it is necessary to restrict chargingof the battery when the state of charge detected by the charge statedetection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limitin a neighborhood of full charge.
 10. The regenerative control devicefor the hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the battery statedetection unit is a charge state detection unit configured to detect astate of charge of the battery, and the regenerative braking powercontrol unit determines that it is necessary to restrict charging of thebattery when the state of charge detected by the charge state detectionunit is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit in aneighborhood of full charge.
 11. The regenerative control device for thehybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a vehicle speeddetection unit that is configured to detect a traveling speed of thevehicle, wherein the regenerative braking power control unit causes thesecond regenerative braking to be executed when the traveling speed isequal to or greater than a predetermined speed.
 12. The regenerativecontrol device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, furthercomprising: a vehicle speed detection unit that is configured to detecta traveling speed of the vehicle, wherein the regenerative braking powercontrol unit causes the second regenerative braking to be executed whenthe traveling speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.